Combined car and vehicle rail



(No Model.)

J. H. 86 W. DRYER.

COMBINED CAR 'AND VBHIOLE RAIL.

No. 370.862. Pateted Oct. 4, 1887.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN H. DRYER AND WILLIAM DRYER, OF SOUTH CEDAR, KANSAS.

COMBINED CAR AND VEHICLE RAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming .part of Letters Patent No. 3'70,862, dated October 4, 1887.

Application filed May 9,1337. Serial No. 237.611. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concer:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. DRYER and WILLIAM DRYER, citizens of the United States, residing at South Cedar, in the county of Jackson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Car and Vehicle Rails; and we do `declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawngs, and to the letters and figures of y reference :marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to combined vehicle and car rails for bridges.

The object of the invention 'is the production of a rail which is to be nailed or otlerwise secured to the timbers of a bridge for strengthening the bridge and preventing the timbers from springing, and which will form a track for cars and a smooth bed for vehicles to run upon and relieve the bridge of the strain and vibration incident to heavily ladened wagons jostling over the timbers.

The improvement consists in a rail com posed of two rail-treads united at their bases and spaced apart about six to ten inches (more or less) at their tops. The bed between the railtreads is straight and the ends of one or both of the rails curve, and the end of the bed between the curved ends is beveled. This rail is to be Secured to the timbers of a bridge, and

novel features presently tobe described and claimed and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a bridge, showing two pairs of rails laid thereon, embodying our iuvention; Fig. 2, a plan view of a bridge having a single pair of rails; F'g. 3, a erosssection of a single rail on the line X X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of one end of the rail on the line X X of Fig. 2.

The rail is composed of two rails or railtreads, A and A', which are united at their bottom by the bed a and are spaced apart at their top about six to ten inches, (more or less,) 'as may be desired. The top of the bed is straight in cross section, which adapts it for vehicle-wheels of different kinds. The rail is made in sections, like other rails, and 50 the end sections are preferably short, and one or both of the rail-treads are curved to form guides for directing the vehicle-wheels onto the bed between the two rails A and A'. The bed between the curved portions of the rail is removed, so that the vehicle-wheel may enter some distance between the rails before mounting the bed. The end of the bed between the curved rail or rails is beveled, so that the vehicle-wheel may enter upon or leave the bed without any j ar being imparted thereto.

In practice the rails are spiked or otherwise Secured to the timbers of the bridge, and may be arranged for a double track, as shown in Fig. 1, or for a single track, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When arranged for a double track, only the outer rail will curve outward; but when arranged for a single track, both railtreads will curve, as shown 8c in Fg. 2.

The tracks shown on the right and left of Fig. 1 are the ordinary street-car tracks,

The dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the single track adapted for a single line of street-rail- 8 5 way. The double curved ends are used only when the rail is designed for vehicles.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined vehicle and car rail composed of two rail-treads united at their bases and spaced apart at their tops, one of the rails being curved, substantially as set forth.

2. A combined vehicle and car rail com- 95 posed of two rail-treads united at their bottoms by a bed, which is beveled at the end, substantially as and for the purpose described 3. A combined vehcle and ear rail composed of two rail-treads united ai; their bottoms by a bed, which extends to within& short', distance of the ende of the double mil and is beveled, and which ends cu-vein opposte directions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimon y whei'eof we affix oursgnatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. DRYER. VVILLIAM DRYER.

witnesses:

ALFRED ERASTUS GRANE, STEPHEN W'. MOALEXANDER. 

